1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination of two flushing valves for a toilet tank which is adapted to make use of a minimal volume of water when liquid or solid material needs to be flushed out of the toilet bowl. The invention is particularly directed to the simultaneous operation of both valves for an increased acceleration of the flushing water while making use of a restricted volume of water for flushing solid material.
2. Prior Art
A search of the prior art has revealed the following United States patents as making use of two stages for flushing toilet bowls and in particular of two valves located at two different heights in the toilet tank for providing two different levels of water from which water will be alternately flushed:
______________________________________ No. 4,504,984 No. 4,172,299 No. 4,110,850 No. 3,768,103 ______________________________________
The patent to Burns U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,984 discloses two valves at two different levels in a flush tank which are operated by a single lever. However, the two valves are operated in sequence which do not allow a simultaneous rushing of the water through both valves. Furthermore, the lower valve is much lower than the upper valve which indicates the need for a larger volume to flow through the lower valve.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,850, Tedei discloses a combination of two flushing valves located at two different levels and operated by two different levers and two different handles. There is no connection shown nor implied between the two handles so as to simultaneously open both valves. Accordingly, Tedei has not contemplated the use of a rushing flow of water passing simultaneously through both valves. In fact, the lower valve is located at a level much lower than the upper valve which explains the reason for expecting the use of a large volume of water to flush solid material.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,299, del Pozo has contemplated a bifurcated activating handle and arm connected by a lever and chain to the first and second valves located at different levels in the toilet tank. Such a device produces consecutive operation of each valve.
The patent to Robinson U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,103 describes a valve assembly which fails to provide a simultaneous operation of both the upper and the lower valves. The difference of height of both valves in the drawings indicates that a much larger volume of water is expected to pass through the lower valve in order to eliminate solid material in the toilet bowl.
The object of the present invention is to restrict the volume of water used for flushing the toilet to a minimal quantity whether it is to flush liquid or solid material. In the case of solid material, the water is accelerated through the vertical flushing pipe by opening both valves simultaneously and this simultaneous opening of the valve is obtained by a single handle operating both valves simultaneously or by a specially designed handle operating either one valve separately and both valves in combination.
Because the lower valve eliminates considerably less liquid than previously known, such second valve is located at a level which is not substantially lower than the first valve eliminating the liquid material. For this purpose, a tongue needs to be installed on the vertical pipe in order to prevent the second valve from interfering with the operation of the first valve and in particular from flipping over beyond the vertical position.
The present flush valve assembly is adaptable to various types of flush tanks by the addition of a coupling for adjusting the height of the valves within the flush tank.